Butcher Meat Cutter Salary in the United States

How much does a Butcher Meat Cutter make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Butcher Meat Cutter in the United States is $33,671 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $16.

However, a Butcher Meat Cutter's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $38,818
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $31,528 to $36,365
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $29,577

Key Factors That Influence Butcher Meat Cutter Salaries

A Butcher Meat Cutter's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Butcher Meat Cutter Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Butcher Meat Cutter's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $32,772
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $32,835
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $33,671
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $34,780
  • Expert (over 8 years): $34,860
Levels Salary
Entry Level Butcher Meat Cutter$32,772
Intermediate Level Butcher Meat Cutter$32,835
Senior Level Butcher Meat Cutter$33,671
Specialist Level Butcher Meat Cutter$34,780
Expert Level Butcher Meat Cutter$34,860

How Do Butcher Meat Cutter Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Butcher Meat Cutters. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $37,281.
  • California: $37,139.
  • Massachusetts: $36,644.

Top Paying Cities for Butcher Meat Cutters

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $42,469
  • San Francisco: $42,004
  • Oakland: $41,119

What Skills Can Increase a Butcher Meat Cutter's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 9.79% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Foodservice (Mentioned in 3.76% Job Postings): The foodservice or catering industry includes the businesses, institutions, and companies which prepare meals outside the home. It includes restaurants, school and hospital cafeterias, catering operations, and many other formats.
  • Safety Standards (Mentioned in 1.74% Job Postings): Safety standards are designed to ensure the safety of products, activities and processes, etc. They may be advisory or compulsory and are normally laid down by an advisory or regulatory body that may be either voluntary or statutory.
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 9.79%
Foodservice 3.76%
Safety Standards 1.74%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Butcher Meat Cutter's salary.

  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • WFM: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Collaboration $36,365
8%
WFM $36,028
7%
Leadership $35,355
5%

Butcher Meat Cutter Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Butcher Meat Cutter roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Energy & Utilities and Aerospace & Defense sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Butcher Meat Cutter positions in Financial Services or Software & Networking typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Butcher Meat Cutter as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Butcher Meat Cutter

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Energy & Utilities$43,772$21.030%
Aerospace & Defense$42,089$20.025%
MFG Nondurable$40,405$19.020%
Healthcare$38,722$19.015%
Business Services$37,038$18.010%

How Education impacts a Butcher Meat Cutter's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Butcher Meat Cutters enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Butcher Meat Cutter with a No Diploma is between $33,458 and $35,114).

Butcher Meat Cutter Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Butcher Meat Cutter
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 6.1%
High School 53.0%
Associates 30.3%
Bachelors 10.6%
Masters 0.0%
Doctorate 0.0%

Butcher Meat Cutter Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Butcher Meat Cutter's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$31,528
Average $33,671/year
$36,365
$2,627
Average $2,806/month
$3,030
$606
Average $648/week
$699
$15
Average $16/hour
$17
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $36,365 $3,030 $699 $17
Average $33,671 $2,806 $648 $16
25th Percentile $31,528 $2,627 $606 $15

Most common benefits for Butcher Meat Cutter

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Butcher Meat Cutter

Here are companies hiring for Butcher Meat Cutter and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Butcher Meat Cutter Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Butcher Meat Cutter job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Butcher Meat Cutter

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Butcher Meat Cutter?

The Energy & Utilities industry offers the highest average compensation for Butcher Meat Cutter roles, with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst